There are a wide variety of disposable plastic articles of manufacture in use today. Because of their low cost and convenience, they are very popular and have a high consumer demand. However, many of these articles are not degradable or easily disposed of. Consequently, they have caused and continue to cause a waste disposal problem.
Personal care products, such as diapers, sanitary napkins, adult incontinence garments, and the like are generally constructed from a number of different components and materials. Such articles typically have some portion, usually the backing layer, liner, or baffle that is composed of a film constructed from a liquid repellent material. This repellent material is appropriately constructed to minimize or prevent the exuding of the absorbed liquid from the article and to obtain greater utilization of the absorbent capacity of the product. The liquid repellent film commonly used includes plastic materials such as polyethylene films and the like.
Although such products are relatively inexpensive, sanitary and easy to use, disposal of a product once soiled is not without its problems. An ideal disposal method for such products would be to use municipal sewage treatment and private residential septic systems. Products suited for disposal in sewage systems can be flushed down a convenient toilet and are termed "flushable." While flushing such articles would be convenient, the liquid repellent material which normally does not disintegrate in water tends to plug toilets and sewer pipes. It therefore becomes necessary, although undesirable, to separate the barrier film material from the absorbent article prior to flushing.
In an attempt to overcome the flushability problem of a water-resistant film the prior art has modified the water-resistant polymer. One of the more useful ways of modifying polymers involves blending them with other polymers of different structures and properties. In a few cases, polymer blend combinations are thermodynamically miscible and exhibit mechanical compatibility. However, by far a greater number of blends are phase separated and generally exhibit poor mechanical compatibility. Phase separated blends can in some cases exhibit mechanical compatibility where the polymer compositions are similar, for example, polyolefin blended with other similar polyolefins, or where interfacial agents are added to improve the compatibility at the interface between the constituents of the polymer blend.
Polymer blends of polyolefins and poly(ethylene oxide) are melt processible but exhibit very poor mechanical compatibility. This poor mechanical compatibility is particularly manifested in blends having greater than 50 weight percent of polyolefin. Generally the film is not affected by water since typically the majority phase, i.e. polyolefin, will surround and encapsulate the minority phase, i.e. the poly(ethylene oxide). The encapsulation of the poly(ethylene oxide) effectively prevents any degradability and/or flushability advantage that would be acquired by using poly(ethylene oxide).
In view of the problems of the prior art, it remains highly desirable to provide water-degradable compositions comprising poly(ethylene oxide) incorporating greater amounts of lower cost polyolefin(s) while maintaining or at least not significantly decreasing the water responsiveness of the composition. Advantageously, such compositions can be used to manufacture flushable films and flushable fibers at lower cost. These films and fibers can be used as components in personal care products that are designed to be flushed down conventional toilets. Additionally, the unique water related properties of the compositions described herein compositions make the compositions desirable for the manufacture of filter membranes.